Flooring-clamp.



A. A. HENDRIGKSON.

FLOORING CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17,1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

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FLOORING-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed January 17, 1908. Serial N 0. 411,367.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST A. HENDRICK- son, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State ofNebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flooring-Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved device for forcing flooringboards closely together when laying the same, and has for its object toprovide a simple and inexpensive flooring clamp which will operate in aneffective manner to produce the desired result.

The invention further contemplates a de vice of this character which canbe quickly placed in an operative position and manipulated by a singleworkman.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means forefiecting' the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view'of a flooring clamp embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the sameshowing the operating lever moved to throw both the pawl and detent intoan inoperative position. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the detent andpawl in operative position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

In the embodiment of the invention shown on the drawing the numeral 1designates the shoe which is provided with a longitudinal guide wayhaving a pusher bar 3 slidably mounted thereon, the sides of the guideway being grooved and the longitudinal edges of the pusher bar beingbeveled from opposite sides thereof to form the triangular tongues areceived within the grooves. The upper and lower faces of the pusher barare shown as flush with the corresponding faces of the shoe, a rack 5being formed at the top of the pusher bar and the teeth of the rackbeing inclined rearwardly and terminating in square shoulders in theusual manner.

Projecting upwardly from the shoe 1 upon opposite sides of the guide way2 are the standards 6 between which the operating lever 7 is pivotallymounted, one end of the lever being bifurcated and the shank 8 of a pawl9 being pivoted between the arms of the bifurcation. This pawl 9 isdesigned to slip over the teeth of the rack 5 when the operating leveris moved in one direction and to engage the square shoulders of theteeth to force the pusher bar forward when the lever is moved in theopposite direction. A spring 10 is utilized for holding the pawl incorrect position, the said spring loosely engaging the pawl and servingto force the pawl downwardly into engagement with the rack when thelever is moved forwardly and to lift the pawl out of engagement with therack when the lever is moved rearwardly beyond the limit of itseffective stroke. This spring 10 is shown in the present instance asprojecting from the lever 7 and passing through an eye 11 upon the pawl,the said spring being curved or deflected outwardly away from the leverand terminating in a hook 12 which prevents the spring from being drawnentirely through the eye. For the purpose of preventing rearward movement of the pusher bar while the lever 7 is being swung forwardly andthe pawl 9 is slipping over the teeth of the rack a detent 13 isutilized, the said detent being pivotally mounted at an intermediatepoint between the standards 6 and having one end thereof hooked toengage the rack 5 while the opposite end is curved as indicated at 14and is designed to be engaged by the lever 7 when the same is swungrearwardly so as to lift the pawl 9 out of engagement with the rack.With this construction it will be readily apparent that the pressure ofthe lever against the curved end 14 of the detent will lift the sameaway from the rack and that with the pawl and detent thus both movedinto an inoperative position the pusher bar can be moved freely withinthe guide way of the shoe and set at the required position. When thelever is again pushed forward the detent 13 is forced downwardly into anoperative position by means of a spring 15 and the pawl 9 caused toengage the rack.

Projecting downwardly from the shoe 1 are the studs 16 which aredesigned to engage the joists or other members upon which the flooringis being laid in order to hold the shoe firmly in position.

In the operation of the clamp the shoe 1 is held firmly in position bymeans of the studs 16 and the pusher bar 3 caused to engage theflooring. The lever 7 is then worked back and forth and the pusher barthereby caused to force the flooring strips closely against each other,after which they are nailed or secured in position by any suitablemeans.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: p

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a shoe, apusher slidably mounted upon the shoe, an operating lever, a pawlloosely connected to the operating lever and cooperating therewith tomove the pusher bar forward, a detent for preventing rearward movementof the pusher bar, the said detent being adapted to be thrown out ofengagement with the pusher bar' when the lever is moved into apredetermined position, and a spring projecting from the lever andhaving a loose and positive connection with the pawl for holding thesame in engagement with the pusher bar during the operation of thedevice and lifting the pawl out of engagement with the pusher bar whenthe lever is moved into the said pre determined position.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a shoe, apusher bar slidably mounted upon the shoe, an operating lever, a pawlloosely connected to the operating lever and adapted to engage thepusher bar to move the same in one direc tion, a detent for preventingmovement of the pusher bar in the opposite direction, the leveroperating automatically to throw the detent away from the pusher barwhen moved into a predetermined position, an eye projecting from thepawl, and a spring car ried by the lever and passing loosely through theeye whereby the pawl is normally held in engagement with the pusher barbut is moved away from the same when the lever is thrown into the saidpredetermined osition.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST A. HENDRICKSON. [a s] Witnesses J. F. POTTER, P. C. HERN.

